What does it actually look like to go from “going through the motions” to living every day on purpose?

In this episode, Josh Johnston and John Szarszewski kick off the first two steps of an eight-step journey designed to help growth-minded professionals build a life of clarity, discipline, and faith-driven action.

Step one: Define the Success.
If you don’t know what you’re aiming at, you’ll end up chasing someone else’s version of success. Josh and John unpack why the process matters more than the destination, how to align your ambition with your faith, and why good things become dangerous when they turn into ultimate things.

Step two: Set the Standard.
The way you do one thing is the way you do everything. From fitness to family to finances, they explore how raising your personal standard in one area creates ripple effects across your entire life.

This conversation is packed with real stories, biblical wisdom, practical leadership principles, and a challenge to examine how you’re actually showing up.

If you’re ready to stop drifting and start living with intention, this is where the journey begins.

Let’s take a step.

Check out the Take A Step apparel: https://www.mmpapparel.com/pages/take-a-step

In this episode of The Take A Step Podcast, Josh Johnston sits down with Logan Lewis, host of the long-running show Your Morning Drive and CEO of Hammerhead Creations, to talk about the kind of success that actually feels fulfilling.

Logan shares how a simple introduction to podcasts sparked an eight-year journey—from early, unpolished episodes recorded with a Best Buy mic to a community-driven show built around meaningful conversations with local business owners and everyday people. Together, Josh and Logan unpack the trap of comparison—how it shows up in business, relationships, faith, and even fitness—and why chasing someone else’s “finished product” keeps so many men stuck in analysis paralysis.

They also dive into what it looks like to redefine success as loving your daily process, not just chasing a destination. Logan gets real about the challenge of balance, the pressure to say yes to everything as an entrepreneur, and the tension between ambition and presence at home. The conversation closes with Logan’s “mile a day” commitment—what inspired it, what it’s teaching him, and how small consistent steps can create real change.

No matter where you are in your journey, every mile begins with a step.

Check out Your morning drive: @yourmorningdrive

Complacency rarely feels dangerous in the moment. It feels comfortable. Manageable. Normal. But over time, it slowly steals your strength, your leadership, and your purpose.

In this edition of The Weekly Mile, Josh unpacks the toxic complacency that has quietly shaped our culture, our businesses, our marriages, and our faith. From drifting through workouts and reacting to your spouse’s mood, to living spiritually checked out Monday through Saturday, this conversation exposes how comfort has become the default setting for too many young professionals.

The truth is adversity is not optional. You will face it. The only question is whether you choose it now or get forced into it later.

If you are tired of reacting to life and ready to build momentum with intentional action, this episode will challenge you to stop waiting, stop making excuses, and just take a step.

What if the thing holding you back isn’t lack of knowledge—but fear of taking action?

In this episode, Josh sits down with Everett Smulders (Coach Smulders) for a conversation that hits on more than running. Everett shares the moment that shaped his mindset forever: collapsing just meters before a state championship finish line, then crawling across in second place—and how that failure became fuel.

From there, they unpack what it looks like to build discipline when motivation fades, why most men get stuck in analysis paralysis, and how clarity is found through action, not perfect planning. Everett also breaks down the real process behind building a personal brand (including the unsexy reps and messy takes nobody sees), plus how he thinks about creating a tribe of competitive, purpose-driven adults who want to train hard and live well.

If you’ve been half-committing, waiting to feel “ready,” or playing it safe—this episode will challenge you to take the next step.

Check out Everett on instagram @coachsmulders

In this edition of The Weekly Mile, Josh challenges one of the most common assumptions in modern success culture: that money is the path to freedom.

So many men are grinding today with the hope that someday—once they hit the number, land the role, or close the deal—they’ll finally get their time back. But what if that mindset is costing us the very life we’re trying to build?

Drawing from Scripture, personal reflection, and hard-earned experience, Josh reframes wealth not as what’s in your bank account, but what’s on your calendar. He explores the subtle trap of sacrificing family, faith, relationships, and presence on the altar of “someday,” and why so much of the life we dream about is already available—if we’re willing to be intentional.

This episode is a wake-up call for growth-minded men who want to honor God, lead well, and live fully now, not just later. You’ll walk away with practical questions to help you reclaim your time and align your daily life with what you truly value.

What happens when purpose keeps calling—and you keep putting it off? In this episode of the Take A Step Podcast, Josh Johnston and John Szarszewski sit down with entrepreneur, husband, and father Chase Frost for a raw, honest conversation about calling, courage, and the cost of waiting.

Chase shares hard-earned wisdom from fatherhood, business failures, and seasons of deep loss, unpacking why clarity doesn’t come from perfect plans—but from imperfect action. From navigating risk before responsibility multiplies, to learning how to show up with intention at home instead of treating family like an afterthought, this episode hits where many men feel stuck but rarely talk about.

You’ll hear why “once you’re called, you’re cursed,” how to break out of numb routines, and why effort and intention matter more than outcomes—in business, marriage, faith, and life. If you’re tired of the hamster wheel, afraid to start, or wrestling with the tension between ambition and presence, this conversation will challenge you to stop waiting and take the next step.

Every mile begins with a step—and this one might be yours.

In this episode of the Take A Step Podcast, Josh Johnston unpacks the powerful tension between purposeful suffering and meaningless comfort. Why do the hardest seasons often shape us the most, while the easiest paths leave us feeling empty? Drawing from Scripture, personal experience, and lessons learned through athletics and early career missteps, Josh challenges growth-minded men to rethink their relationship with comfort.

From grueling college baseball practices to unfulfilling corporate success, this conversation exposes a hard truth: ease has never built a strong man. God uses struggle to refine us, stretch us, and prepare us for the calling on our lives. Comfort may feel good in the moment, but purpose is what produces meaning, strength, and lasting impact.

If you’ve been coasting, feeling restless, or sensing God calling you to more, this episode will confront you—in the best way. You’ll walk away with clarity, conviction, and practical questions to help you take your next purposeful step.

What does it look like to build a solid foundation as a young man when you’re juggling performance, purpose, and faith?

In this episode, Josh is joined again by John Szarszewski—along with special guests John Wilson and Garrett Miller with Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)—for a real, wide-ranging conversation rooted in the world of college athletics and discipleship.

They unpack what young men and student-athletes are facing daily: identity struggles, ego, pressure to perform, and the tension between chasing “success” and staying rooted in Christ. You’ll hear why “cool guys who love Jesus” matter more than we think, how the church can bridge the gap between ambition and obedience, and why rest (Sabbath) is actually an act of trust—not laziness.

They also hit on powerful themes like:

• Why athletes often view God like a coach instead of a Father
• The difference between wealth as a byproduct vs. wealth as the focus
• The role of vulnerability and brotherhood in real growth
• Why discipleship is multiplication (Engage, Equip, Empower)
• How passivity quietly destroys purpose—and how to fight it

If you’re a young man trying to live with intention, reject complacency, and take the next faithful step—this one’s for you.

Every mile begins with a step.